Does anyone have information on roof shingle toxicity for application in rainwater harvesting? I understand that metal roofing seems to be the top choice, but budget may dictate otherwise.

cheers

Adolfo

Charleston, SC

unless there is specific testing information available i realy can't see any probelms from the more common roof materials ie.,. metal either zyncalum or colour bonded or tiles/shingles as the rain isn't involved in prolonged contact with the roof for the main part.

also bird/frog or any other droppings on the roof are of very little concern to me we are still alive and kicking after 4 years so far of drinking rain water unfiltered (and spent most of my childhood doing the same never got sick). more to the point is what sort of material are you going to store your rain water in? we use poly tanks food grade made from local ingredients. but at the end of the day most storage systems are likley to or can leach into the water.

the main real concern as we see it is like the other poster said the chemical fall outs that land on your roof, if you are going to get serious about using rain water for drinking then you realy need to take into account your trade winds and what they blow over before they get to you take into consideration the following major highways or arterial roads, industrial centres airports etc.,. etc.,.

your tank water may only ever be fit for the garden and i know people in our capitol city who can't even collect it for the gardens as the fall out on their roofs is too toxic, just how it is and i could well imagine that this situation could be wider spread in the US of A.

len

mail len

lens garden page

I, too, have used unfiltered rainwater in the past without illness. I spent time in Indonesia and Turks and Caicos where rainwater was collected in concrete cisterns. I'm more worried about chemicals than the old Bali belly ;)))

Thanks for your input.

Adolfo

i might have doubts about collecting rain from copper or lead based roofs.

len